Meghan Markle and Prince Harry share never-before-seen photo from 2017 trip to Botswana

The couple worked with wildlife conservation group Elephants Without Borders during the trip 

Chelsea Ritschel
Friday 05 April 2019 18:15 BST
Comments
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry share photos from trip to Botswana
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry share photos from trip to Botswana

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Just days after launching their own Instagram account, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have shared a photo from their first holiday together.

In a recent post celebrating Prince Harry’s continued dedication to advocating on behalf of wildlife and the environment, the royal account took a moment to look back on his past work – which included then-girlfriend Meghan Markle.

One of the photos, which are from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s trip to Botswana, Africa, in 2017, shows the couple working together to place a satellite collar on a bull elephant.

In the photo, Harry and Meghan kneel next to the elephant, that, according to the caption, was “sedated for just 10 minutes before he was up and back with his herd”.

By attaching the satellite collars to the elephants, which are often targeted by poachers, conversationalists are able to “track their critical migratory patterns and protect them and the local communities form human wildlife contact”.

Apart from showing the humanitarian work the couple has been involved in from the beginning of their relationship, the photo also gave fans a glimpse into their relationship when they were still very private.

The photos, which have been liked more than 351,000 times, have been met with joy from followers of the account.

“Loving the never-before-seen pictures. Thanks for sharing the behind-the-scenes work that you do,” one person wrote.

Another said: “Beyond impressive. So pleased the Duke and Duchess are making their social media mark and showing the public who they really are – extraordinary selfless people in a position to make a meaningful difference.”

The pair travelled to Botswana for Meghan’s 36th birthday shortly after they started dating – a trip that Prince Harry previously said was “crucial” to getting to know each other.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Since starting their Instagram account, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are expecting their first child, have gained more than 3m followers – breaking an Instagram record in the process.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in